
181 minutes
5/23/2004
As a young boy, future emperor Nero witnesses the mad Emperor Caligula kill his father and exile his mother. While in exile in the pontine islands, Agrippina, his mother, sees a vision telling her that her son can become emperor, but she will have to die first. She accepts the proposal. Back in Rome, Nero, now being raised by emperor Claudius after Caligula's death, Agrippina returns. She poisons Claudius' food and Nero becomes emperor. At first, Nero cuts taxes and introduces successful programs and invades Brittania. Soon he meets a beautiful slave named Claudia Acte, and marries her, throwing off his engagement with Claudius' daughter, Claudia Octavia, telling her she can marry someone she will be happy with. Heartbroken, she arrives at an island and kills herself. Nero enjoys being married to Claudia Acte, but soon he gradually goes mad with power and sets fire to Rome.

Hans Matheson
as Nero

Rike Schmid
as Acte

Laura Morante
as Aggrippina

Matthias Habich
as Seneca

Ángela Molina
as Domitia

Ian Richardson
as Septimus

John Simm
as Caligula

Liz Smith
as Soothsayer

Massimo Dapporto
as Claudius

Maurizio Donadoni
as Burros

Jochen Horst
as Etius

Vittoria Puccini
as Claudia Octavia

Elisa Tovati
as Poppaea Sabina

Pierre Vaneck
as Paul of Tarsus

Francesco Venditti
as Britannicus

James Bentley
as Young Nero